


Cadence Bearden, Virus Warden

by Emiline



Category: The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Everyone is perfectly fine in this, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, I promise, Pandemics, social distancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23257492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiline/pseuds/Emiline
Summary: “Aunt Jean, you need to go inside!” Cadence hollered over the fence.“I will in a minute, dear, I’m just finishing weeding this row, and then I’ve got to water it.”“YOU’RE OLD AND THERE’S A VIRUS!”Modern AU, inspired by a Twitter post.
Relationships: Millie Harcourt/Jean McBrian
Comments: 20
Kudos: 44





	Cadence Bearden, Virus Warden

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't planning to write a modern AU for The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, let alone a coronavirus AU, and then I saw this post: https://linguini17.tumblr.com/post/613203130157613056 and I knew I had to write something based on it.
> 
> Thanks to cassiopeiasara who was chatted with me about it and came up with some of the dialogue in Cadence and Jean's first exchange.
> 
> As I said in the tags, this is very fluffy and everyone in the fic is fine, but I do realize that not everyone is going to want to read pandemic fic, which is completely valid. Be safe!

“Mo-om, I’m bored, will you read me _Boxcar Children_ again?”

“Not right now, honey, I’m working and I have to get this project done. Why don’t you go play in the backyard for a little bit?”

“Okay. I’m only going to take Cordelia and Violet, though, because all the others are in quarantine.”

“Are they?”

“Uh huh.”

* * *

“I’m going to get a job – no _I’m_ going to get a job, Cordelia, because I’m older,” Cadence narrated, moving Cordelia the teddy and Violet the doll around. “Besides, there are more jobs for people than bears.”

“Very well,” Cadence wiggled Cordelia’s arms. “Then _I_ will hunt in the woods for berries and honey and fish for us to eat.”

“Fish is gross,” Violet-Cadence said.

“All the more for me,” Cordelia-Cadence said in her best deep voice.

Cadence became aware that someone nearby was singing. She couldn’t quite catch the words, and the person, who sounded very much like Aunt Jean, started singing even louder.

“…pity, pity me—our Capitan’s daughter she/and I that looooooooowwwwwleee suitor.”

Cadence left Cordelia and Violet to fend for themselves for a moment and raced over to the fence.

“Aunt Jean, you need to go inside!” she hollered over the fence.

“I will in a minute, dear, I’m just finishing weeding this row, and then I’ve got to water it.”

“YOU’RE OLD AND THERE’S A VIRUS!”

Jean snorted. “I’m not _that_ old, thank you very much, young lady.”

Cadence climbed up on the extra lumber that Aunt Hailey was going to use to help them fix the gate, and propped her arms on the top of the fence.

“How old are you, then, Aunt Jean?”

“How old do you think I am?”

Cadence considered this. “Well, I know you’re older than my Mom and Aunt Millie.” Her brow furrowed. “So, pretty old?”

“As old as Methuselah, I dare say,” Jean said, with a twitch of her lips. “Or at least, oh, sixty-eight or so, dear,” Jean added, with a twitch of her lips.

Cadence gasped.

“That’s nearly SEVENTY, Aunt Jean!” she admonished. “Go back inside this minute!”

“Cadence—”

Millie came out through the backdoor. “I thought I recognized that voice,” she smiled. “How are you, Cadence? And you, darling?” she hugged Jean from behind.

“SIX FEET AUNT MILLIE!”

“Dear, it’s only six feet if you don’t live with the other person—“

“SIX FEET!” Cadence repeated.

Behind her, the door opened. “Cadence, what is all this shouting?”

“Aunt Jean and Aunt Millie are too close and they’re going to die!” Cadence sobbed.

Iris looked at Jean and Millie. “What’s going on?” she mouthed.

Jean sighed. “She’s a bit confused about the social distancing rule.”

Iris tok Cadence in her arms. “Shhh, honey, Aunt Jean and Aunt Millie are going to be fine. They’re not sick and they are allowed to be near each other, because they live together in the same house already. Like you and me and Daddy.”

Cadence sniffed. “But I’m just a kid, and you and Daddy aren’t _nearly_ as old as Auntie Jean! She’s nearly seventy! She said so!”

“Are you sure?”

“I meant it as a joke,” Jean admitted ruefully. “I forgot how young she was.”

“I’m not a baby!” Cadence sobs.

“Aunt Jean isn’t saying you are. And she isn’t anywhere near seventy. And she’s not sick.”

“But she shouldn’t be so close to Aunt Millie.”

“It’s okay for adults to be close, even now, if they already live together. Daddy and I can hug each other, remember?”

“Ohh.”

Iris pulled a tissue out of her pocket.

“Blow your nose, honey.”

Cadence obeyed, scrunched the tissue and shoved it in her pocket. A frown crossed her face.

“You need to hug inside, then!” she commanded. “Why are you laughing, Aunt Millie?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Millie managed. “Come on, Jean, I think we’ve got our marching orders.”

* * *

“Cadence, do you remember how we discussed that it’s not polite to ask grownups how old they are?”

“Yes,” Cadence mumbled. “But it was really important, Mom! Even more important than being polite. I don’t want Aunt Jean to die!”

“It’s okay to be scared. But I promise you that I and your Dad and your brother and Aunt Jean and Aunt Millie and Aunt Hailey are all being very careful. We’re all following the rules about what we should and shouldn’t be doing right now. We’re all doing our very best to keep each other safe, okay?” 

“’Kay”

“Do you want to keep playing outside or do you want to play inside quietly?”

“Inside!”

“Quietly. With your indoor voice.”

“Yes, Mom,” Cadence replied in an exaggerated whisper.

* * *

“Well,” Millie laughed, as she poured them both a cup of tea, “You’re looking very good for sixty-eight if I may say so, darling.”

“She asked me how old I was and when I asked her how old she thought I was, she said, and I quote ‘pretty old’.”

“She got it half right, you are very pretty,” Millie stepped around to Jean’s side of the table and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

“Oh, quit your flannelling,” Jean chided without heat. 

“It’s true though,” Millie set the biscuit tin down.

“Where’d you get those?”

“I have my ways,” Millie winked.

“Don’t tell me you charmed them off of Bill.”

“Elinor, actually. She’s a resourceful woman.”

“Are they all doing all right?” Jean took a bite of a lemon biscuit.  
“As well as can be expected.” Millie sipped her tea. “Of course having the children home is making it much more difficult for Elinor to get through her work day, and she’s worried about Bill still having to go in to work, but they’re managing, she says.”

“It’s not an easy time.”

“No, it’s not.”

Jean’s phone rang. “It’s Cadence. She’s calling us by video.”

“Hello dear,” Jean answered.

“Oh good you’re inside,” Cadence said without preamble.

“Yes dear, we’re having our afternoon tea.”

“And you’re going to stay inside, right?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Cadence,” Jean heard Iris through the phone, “stop bothering Aunt Jean and go find something quiet to do.”

“I’m just checking,” Cadence called back. “Aunt Millie’s inside too?” she asked Jean.

“I’m here, Cadence,” Millie confirmed, moving into view.

“Good. K bye then.”

“Goodbye”

The video winked off.

“My, she is persistent, isn’t she? Our own little health inspector. She’s going to keep us on the straight and narrow.”

“I’m not sure about the straight part,” Jean countered wryly.

Her phone rang again.

“Yes Cadence?”

“I’ve had an idea.”

“Oh?”

“Cordelia and Violet are in quarantine now, and Mom’s busy, so I’ve decided that you and Milile can read me _The Boxcar Children_ over the phone.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, because you don’t have anything to do either so this will be much better. You can read, and be Jessie and Violet, and Aunt Millie can be Henry and Benny. And if you’re reading to me, then you won’t mind so much not being able to go outside. Will you please?” she added. “Pretty please with cherries on top?”

“Just a moment, Cadence, your aunt and I need to discuss this.”

“Okay!” Cadence bounced.

Jean put the phone on mute and placed it face down.

“What do you think?” she asked Millie.

“You know I always love hearing you read, and I’m happy to read for a bit if you get tired. I think it would be a great kindness for Iris as well – we could keep Cadence occupied and out of her hair for a little while this way.”

“Alright.” Jean picked up the phone and unmuted it. “Auntie Millie and I will read to you for a while.”

“Yaaaaaaaay! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, dear.”

“I’ve got it,” Millie said, brandishing a copy in one hand and a blanket in the other. She and Jean settled into the couch and spread the blanket over their laps. Millie tucked her legs up to the side and rested her head on Jean’s shoulder.

Jean fished her glasses out of the pocket of her cardigan opened the book to the first page. She took her free hand and twined her through Millie’s hair. 

“About seven o'clock one hot summer evening a strange family moved into the little village of Middlesex,” Jean began. “Nobody knew where they came from, or who they were. But the neighbors soon made up their minds what they thought of the strangers…”


End file.
